


A Chance Encounter

by dwj



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22356343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwj/pseuds/dwj
Summary: Rose comes across the TARDIS whilst looking for The Doctor, how will she react when she finds a new face waiting for her? 13/Rose
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 70
Kudos: 406





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So this is set post doomsday for Rose, during the time that she's looking for The Doctor because the stars are going out. As of yet there's no specific timeline for 13 and the fam. I do plan on adding at least one more chapter purely for fluff purposes so that'll be coming soon, in the meantime I hope you enjoy what I have so far!
> 
> Thanks.

**A Chance Encounter**

A loud crack resonated in the small alley as a blonde appeared practically out of nowhere, she looked around wildly for a moment and tried to collect her bearings. Taking a deep breath, she leaned against a nearby wall and pulled a device out of her pocket. It took a few seconds before the location scanner was able to establish where she had ended up but when it did she couldn't stop a small smile creeping across her lips.

_Sheffield, Earth, 2019._

Not only was she on earth, she was also back in her own world, in her not so distant future apparently. They had developed the dimension cannon so they were able to lock on to locations that The Doctor had been but it was still in its early stage of reproduction and as a result it didn't always spit her out at the right time. The Doctor may well have been in Sheffield at some point, but whether or not he was still there was debatable. Only one way to find out.

Pocketing her location scanner and the cannon she made her way out of the alley she had arrived in and looked around. She'd never been to Sheffield before so wasn't very familiar with the area, she also couldn't imagine why The Doctor would be there either which made finding him all the more difficult.

Heading off in a random direction she raised a hand to her neck and subconsciously fingered the key hanging from a chain there, she hadn't taken it off since they had parted. She wanted to be ready, just incase.

* * *

She had been walking around for what felt like hours, the cannon had long since recharged and if she didn't find some sort of evidence that he was there soon she would have to head back and try again. Letting out a long sigh, she turned a corner and was seriously considering just heading back when a sight ahead stopped her in her tracks. It couldn't be, could it? Her legs moved on their own accord whilst her heart screamed at her mind that it better not be playing tricks on her. It had been two years, give or take since she had last seen The Doctor and the TARDIS. She wondered how long it had been for him, she wondered if he had found new people to travel with, he probably had, and she wouldn't blame him for it, she would have hated to think he would have gone on alone after losing her.

Memories filled her mind as she got closer to the blue box, memories of the crazy adventures she and The Doctor had shared. She could hardly believe what was happening as she stopped in front of the TARDIS, she looked the same for the most part albeit a slightly brighter shade of blue. Her excitement gave way to mild panic as she thought about what was actually happening right now. She had finally found him, after working non stop since her arrival in the parallel world to find a way home, she had finally done it, and she had finally found him too. But what if he had moved on, what if he had new companions now and no longer cared for her? So many thoughts spun through her mind but one thing was for sure, she hadn't come this far to turn back now. With a shaking hand she removed the chain from around her neck and stared at the key for a moment, would it even still fit?

Taking a deep breath she pushed her key into the lock and turned, to her surprise it worked. She pushed the door open after another moment of hesitation and stepped inside. It was different, the coral pillars had been replaced with what looked to be crystals and if she was being honest with herself, it didn't match _her_ Doctor. The thought worried her more than anything else had so far, could it be possible that he had regenerated since they had last seen each other? Her head was filled with so many questions and before she had time to consider the answers to any of them she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Realising she had come to a stop a few feet from the console, she looked across to the door that led to the rest of the TARDIS and frowned when she saw a man looking back at her.

"Can I help you?" The man asked and she stared back at him in shock.

He looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties. Could this be The Doctor? Her Doctor? She was frozen in shock and could only stare back at the man as he wondered further into the room.

"You ok there love?" He called out again, watching the young woman with a mix of curiosity and worry.

She frowned, did he not recognise her? Had it really been that long that he no longer remembered what she looked like? Or maybe this regeneration had chosen to forget and he had moved on as soon as he changed.

She didn't know what to say, how could she bring herself to explain who she was if he had chosen to forget her? Reaching into her pocket, her fingers curled around the dimension cannon, she could leave right now and just go back home. She took a step back towards the door and considered doing what he had taught her to do best, _run_.

"Doc? You've got a visitor!" The man called over his shoulder and she stopped.

Doc? He was shouting for Doc? Could that mean? Was it possible.. She looked on in silent panic as she awaited the arrival of whoever this _Doc_ person was.

She didn't have to wait long before a woman appeared in the same doorway the man had come through, she looked to be in her mid thirties, wearing a jumper with a rainbow across the front with yellow braces that clashed but she managed to pull it off at the same time. She had short blonde hair and was looking back at her with an expression she was sure mimicked her own.

"Friend of yours?" The man asked, looking between the two women curiously.

A wide smile stretched across The Doctors face as she stepped further into the room, looking back at Graham she could only nod before looking back at their visitor.

"Oh yes."

"I'll let you two have some privacy." Graham told her and she offered him a grateful smile as he retreated out of the console room.

The Doctor looked at the woman standing a short distance away, it had been probably a thousand or so years give or take but she never forgot a face, especially not _that_ face. She wasn't sure where in their timeline she was but in that moment she didn't care. Taking a few steps towards the young woman who was still looking back at her in shock, The Doctor's smile softened and she gave silent thanks to whatever stars had to align so that one of her oldest friends could be here right now.

"Rose Tyler."

Rose watched the woman with wide eyes as she made her way over, was this him? _her?_ Could this be her Doctor, the person she had spent the last two years trying to get back to. She knew her name, and the man had called her _Doc_ , who was that man? Was he her new companion? Were they _?_ She had so many questions, she had focussed so hard on trying to get back that she hadn't really thought through what she would do if it ever actually happened. She was too lost in her own thoughts that she barely registered the woman's movements until she came to a stop a few feet in front of her.

The Doctor watched Rose nervously, she wasn't sure how long it had been since she had last seen her, or rather her previous incarnation. Rose had been there when she regenerated from her ninth to her tenth incarnation but she had never told her of the possibility that she could become a woman one day, The Doctor herself had never really given it much thought until it had happened. Feelings she had long since suppressed came flooding back and it made her hearts hurt, she clenched her hands into fists at her sides as she fought the urge to reach out and take her hand.

After what felt like an eternity, Rose finally found her voice.

"Doctor?" Her voice was quiet and full of uncertainty.

"Hello." The Doctor said with a smile, raising a hand she gave her a small wave.

Rose felt tears fill her eyes, tears of relief, tears of exhaustion, she had _finally_ found her Doctor after all this time. Closing the remaining distance between herself and The Doctor, she practically fell into her arms. The two women held each other tight, neither quite able to believe what was happening.

The Doctor felt Rose's tears soaking through her jumper whilst her own tears slipped silently down her cheeks, words couldn't explain how much she had missed her. She missed all of her past companions, but Rose was different, she had always been different.

After what could have been hours but neither woman cared, they loosened their grip and both took a small step back so they could look at each other. The Doctor took one of Rose's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze whilst reaching out with her other to wipe away her remaining tears. Rose closed her eyes momentarily at the contact, taking a deep breath she tried to get her emotions in check.

"Oh Rose." The Doctor said softly, offering her friend a smile which she returned tearfully.

"You've redecorated." Rose said after a moment, The Doctor let out a laugh and nodded, glancing around the console room briefly before looking back at her.

"Well y'know, new face, would'a been rude not to give the old girl a bit of a makeover too." She said with a shrug and Rose nodded.

"God, I've missed you." Rose said with a sigh.

"I've missed you too, so much you have no idea." The Doctor told her, shaking her head as she thought about just how long it had been since she had last seen her pink and yellow human.

She knew she had to ask, had to find out where exactly Rose had come from but the potential answer terrified her. The Doctor would love to be able to convince herself that this Rose was post meta crisis but she knew she could never be that lucky.

"How did you get here? Not that for one minute I'm complaining because I'm not, you have no idea how glad I am that you're here." She spoke a mile a minute and Rose smiled, she may look different on the outside but to her she was the exact same person she had said goodbye to on the beach years prior.

Reaching into her pocket, Rose pulled out a small circular device that The Doctor almost instantly recognised.

"This is a dimension cannon, Pete built it, in the parallel world, so we would be able to travel back and forth between worlds, so I'd be able to get back." She explained and The Doctor's hope was quickly dissipating as she continued.

"It didn't work at first, but then the stars started going out and dimensions started collapsing, not just in our world, but the whole of reality and then suddenly it started to work and I knew I had to find you."

The Doctor's face fell when she realised where Rose was from, where she had been trying to get back to, _who_ she had been trying to get back to. A sad smile crossed her face and she gave the hand still in hers another squeeze.

"The stars, that's my past, my distant past, the me you're looking for, I'm, he, he's still as you remember him." She explained and Rose frowned.

She thought she had finally found The Doctor, _her_ Doctor, and in a way she had, just at the wrong time. Knowing the one she was looking for was still pinstripes would have filled her with immense happiness was it not for the woman standing in front of her, she had said that the events happening in Rose's current timeline were her distant past, which meant that not only was Rose no longer travelling with her, but she had probably not done so for a long time.

"How long?" She asked after a moment and a look of pain crossed The Doctor face before she answered.

"A thousand years, give or take." She said quietly.

Rose's eyes grew wide and tears filled them once more, she could hardly fathom such an amount of time passing since she and The Doctor had last seen each other. She wondered how many others there had been in that time, it was a selfish thought but she couldn't help it. She also wondered how many times they had regenerated in that time, how long had it been since she had been her pinstriped self. Her own thoughts were starting to overwhelm her and she was starting to forget why she had come there in the fist place. She would have to go back to the parallel world and try again, but the thought of leaving this Doctor knowing that she would never see her again was something she was having a hard time dealing with.

"I don't wanna go." She whispered, unable to stop a new wave of tears as they fell down her cheeks.

The Doctor sighed, the thought of having to watch Rose leave again and for the final time made her feel like both her hearts were breaking. The sheer chance of Rose stumbling across her TARDIS had been a miracle in itself, and something The Doctor would forever cherish. She had been given the chance to see her pink and yellow human again after so long when she never in a million years would have thought it to be possible.

"You don't have to go just yet." The Doctor said before she could stop herself.

She owned a time machine, and as long as they didn't leave the TARDIS then there wouldn't be any harm in Rose sticking around just a little bit longer before heading back to her own world.

"Stay for tea, you can meet the fam." She continued, smiling as her excitement grew at the thought of introducing her mates to each other.

"The fam?" Rose asked, a slightly amused smile tugging at her lips as she raised a hand to wipe away her tears.

"Yeah, Yaz, Ryan and Graham, you've already met Graham, sort of." She told her with a shrug.

The Doctor temporarily pushed the thoughts of letting Rose go again out of her mind, she intended on making the most out of having her friend back, even if it was just for a short amount of time.

"Ok." Rose said, her own smile growing wide as The Doctor tugged on her hand and began leading her out of the console room and in search of the others.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! so first of all I want to thank everyone that read and left comments and kudos, you guys literally made my week with your kind words and it's pushed me to want to write more. I had originally planned on just making this a two shot but I'm not ready to say goodbye to Rose again yet so I've left it open for another chapter or ? if that's what people want to see. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, should I continue? let me know. Thanks again!

**A Chance Encounter**

**Chapter 2**

"So what brought you to Sheffield?" Rose asked The Doctor as she led her through the many hallways in search of the others.

"My mates." She told her, looking back with a smile.

"We just stopped off so they could grab some spares clothes, good job we did really." She continued, giving Rose's hand a squeeze.

They could hear voices coming from one of the many kitchens as they turned another corner, the door was slightly ajar and Rose could just about make out what they were saying, hardly surprised when she realised they were talking about her.

"Who do ya think she is?" A female voiced called out.

"I dunno, didn't stick around long enough to get her name, let her and The Doc have some privacy." A male voice responded, one she recognised from when she had first walked into the TARDIS.

"Was she fit?" A third voice chimed in.

"Ryan!" The same female voice from before called out.

Rose couldn't resist a small smirk despite the worry and uncertainty she was currently feeling, The Doctor remained quiet until they reached the kitchen and glanced back at her with a reassuring smile before pushing the door open.

"Hey team!" She called out enthusiastically as she walked into the kitchen with Rose in tow.

Graham had been stood at the counter making himself a sandwich whilst Ryan and Yaz were sat at the dining table in the middle of the room on their mobiles. All three looked up from their tasks at the arrival of The Doctor and her friend, Graham and Yaz offered them a friendly smile and Ryan glanced at Rose before looking away, silently praying they hadn't heard the conversation they were having before they walked in. Yaz noticed their joined hands and frowned, wondering just what kind of friend this woman was to The Doctor.

"I want you guys to meet an old mate of mine, this is Rose Tyler." The Doctor had a bright smile on her face as she spoke but her eyes gave away the emotions she tried to hide, something Yaz noticed.

"This is Yaz, Ryan and Graham." She added, gesturing to each of her fam.

"Hello." Rose said rather timidly, raising her free hand and giving the others a small wave.

"Rose is staying for tea, isn't that brilliant? Tea with Rose." The Doctor told them, beaming.

It filled Rose with a warm feeling as she listened to The Doctor excitedly tell her companions that she'd be staying for a short while. She also noticed how much more carefree this Doctor seemed compared to her pinstripes, whatever weight her Doctor had been carrying had apparently been lifted in the thousand or so years since they had last seen each other. She had arrived uncertain about what she might find, fearful of what it would mean for her world, for all of the worlds if she wasn't able to find The Doctor and although she hadn't found the Doctor she was initially looking for her she had found another that in some ways she needed too.

The others couldn't help but smile at The Doctors enthusiasm, she had never mentioned this Rose person before but there were a lot of things the fam didn't know about her so it was simply added to the list. She seemed happy though, and if The Doctor was happy then so were they.

"So, how long have you and The Doctor known each other?"

Yaz was the first to speak up, she couldn't stop the pang of jealousy she felt when Graham had told them a mystery blonde woman had wondered into the TARDIS and The Doctor had reacted to her arrival like a kid on Christmas Day. She hoped her voice would not betray her and they would just think she was asking out of curiosity, which she was really.

Rose frowned at the question, not really sure how to answer it. Travelling in a literal time machine made it difficult for her to keep track of dates, they had once estimated it was roughly two years or so and that was a short while before they had lost each other. She had no idea what her future held so that number would differ for the Doctor standing beside her. There was no simply answer she could give them so she opted for the only one she could think of.

"It's complicated." She told them with a smile.

She hoped they wouldn't question her further, it appeared as though she hadn't been mentioned since they had come aboard the TARDIS and as much as she wanted it to bother her she also had to remember that it had been over a thousand years for this Doctor since she had last seen her and she couldn't expect her to get out some kind of log to show all new companions who it was they were replacing.

"Try us." Yaz challenged, but before Rose could muster up a response The Doctor stepped forward.

"Look, Rose has to go soon, let's not waste the little time she has by playing twenty questions." She told them, her tone wasn't rude but did have a tinge of sadness that only peaked their curiosity further.

"Go where?" Yaz asked before she could stop herself, this woman had turned up out of nowhere and was apparently disappearing again in a matter of hours, they were always being kept in the dark so sue her for pushing her luck.

Rose couldn't blame her curiosity and if she wasn't mistaken, just a touch of jealously. It reminded her of how she had felt when she had met Sarah Jane for the first time. She also wasn't sure how close Yaz and this Doctor were, were they as close as she had been to her Doctor? Would they be? She had to remind herself that this was her distant future, that she still had her own Doctor out there, she hoped. That didn't stop her however from glancing over at this new Doctor every time she could, she was so different but Rose wasn't mad about it. Her hand felt different in hers, but somehow it still fit.

Before The Doctor could reiterate her earlier statement Rose squeezed her hand gently to stop her, she gave her a smile before letting go and walking over to the table to pull up a chair beside Ryan and Yaz.

"We've got time, you can just drop me off at the same time I arrived yeah?" Rose asked, looking over at The Doctor.

It took her a moment before she realised that of course she could, she blamed her slow up take on recent events throwing her off kilter. The Doctor's wide smile returned and she nodded.

"Of course I can! Great idea Rose Tyler, ten points!" She beamed.

Rose grinned before looking back to Ryan and Yaz, Graham had resumed making his sandwich but was within earshot.

"Me and The Doctor travelled together a long time ago, it's complicated because for me it's only been a few years but for your Doctor it's been over a thousand years." Rose began explaining whilst The Doctor busied herself with making everyone a cup of tea, usually she would go and tinker but she didn't want to miss out of any moments she could spend with Rose.

"How is that even possible?" Ryan asked, staring at Rose in disbelief.

"A few years back, for me anyway, me and The Doctor got separated and I ended up trapped in this parallel world, it was just like this one but things are slightly different, anyway so I got trapped and since then we've been working on this machine so that I could get back. It's not exactly accurate, but we've been able to modify it so it drops us off in the area The Doctor last was, but like I said it's not exactly accurate so it dropped me off here and I found your Doctor but the one I'm looking for is still out there."

The Doctor looked over at Rose as she explained her story to the others, she sounded so tired and The Doctor wished she could assure her that everything worked out for her in the end. She had no memories of this meeting which meant either Rose never mentioned it to her Doctor when she found him or she had and he had removed the memories just in case any of his next regenerations tried to change history. It also meant The Doctor wasn't aware of how this was going to play out, something that her chaotic mind was kind of looking forward to.

"But why couldn't The Doc just pick you up in the TARDIS?" Graham asked curiously.

Rose smiled sadly at the question, if only it was that easy.

"Travelling between worlds isn't supposed to be possible, it rips a hole in the fabric of the universe. Theres this place called the void, it's basically a stepping stone between universes, its nothingness, some call it hell, when people cross between worlds they get doused in this sort of radiation, the void pulls them in as well as anything around it and that's what happened to me. I was nearly pulled into the void, but I was taken to the parallel world before it could happen, and then, it was sealed off before I could get back." She explained, her hands gesturing wildly as she tried to explain it in a way they would understand.

"But you're here now, you found a way back." He observed and she sighed, reaching into her pocket she pulled out her dimension canon and set it down on the table in front of her.

"I have this." She told them.

"This is how I got back, but it only works if there's already a hole, in my time worlds are literally collapsing and stars are dying because someone or _something_ reopened the hole The Doctor sealed a long time ago."

Graham was now staring at her with a mix of panic and confusion etched across his face, she said she was from their past, surely everything ended up working out since they there at that moment, plus he figured he would remember the world ending.

"You've already been there and done that Doc, everything works out in the end don't it?" He asked, looking over at The Doctor who was facing away from them by the kettle.

"My past is still Rose's future, anything I say could change the course of history, I'm sorry." She turned and looked at Rose, offering her friend an apologetic glance and she smiled in return.

"Don't worry I get it, wibbly wobbly timey wimey." She said with a shrug and The Doctor couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, Rose Tyler." The Doctor said quietly, a happy sigh escaping her lips.

It was clear that once upon a time The Doctor and Rose had been more than just friends and her return would probably stir those feelings back to the surface, Yaz wasn't naive enough to believe she was the first and there was probably a long line from before Rose's time too. She would let The Doctor have this time with her lost love, and when she had to eventually take her leave, Yaz would be there to comfort her.

"I just remembered that thing I wanted to show you, come on Ryan." Yaz announced, standing from her seat and looking down at Ryan with a look that screamed _just go with it._

"What thing?" Ryan asked with a frown and Yaz rolled her eyes.

Graham put his sandwich onto a plate and grabbed one of the cups of tea The Doctor had made for them all.

"Come on son, lead the way Yaz." Graham said with a smile, sparing a glance at The Doctor who had cottoned on to what they were doing and offered them a grateful smile.

Ryan still hadn't caught on but followed the others none the less, they each grabbed a cup of tea before heading out of the kitchen. Rose and The Doctor could hear Ryan questioning them both as they left about what this _thing_ was and Rose let out a breath of a laugh before looking over at The Doctor with a smile.

"So, you want a tour?" The Doctor asked her with a grin, holding out one of two last remaining cups of tea.

"Definitely." She said with a nod, standing from her chair she took the cup.

"Lead the way." She told her, giving her a wide smile.

"Follow me, Rose Tyler." The Doctor said, reaching out she took Rose's free hand and laced their fingers together before giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Always."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone still out there? Hi! I know it's been a while, but i've been juggling quite a few stories and writers block is bitch so here we are later than anticipated. After this I am planning on writing one more chapter, just to wrap everything up. I've really enjoyed writing this, and I've enjoyed hearing everyones feedback. It really does mean the world. Anyway, here we are. Enjoy and as per, let me know what you think!

**A Chance Encounter**

**Chapter 3**

The Doctor led Rose through the many corridors on the TARDIS, pointing out rooms she would be familiar with from her time aboard and popping in to show her how they had changed in the time since. Rose had been wondering about one room in particular, wondering if it would still exist even though she knew the chances would be slim and felt stupid for even thinking it in the first place. Her room. Would it still be around somewhere, hidden down one of the many never-ending corridors? Was it now someone else's room? Maybe one of her friends now occupied the room that had once been hers for the better part of two years.

"Your mates, they seem really nice." Rose spoke up after a moment, she had been following her in relative silence, enjoying her commentary as they explored each room.

The Doctor's face lit up at the mention of her fam, she nodded in confirmation and a wide smile stretched across her face.

"Oh, They're brilliant."

Rose smiled at her enthusiasm, her biggest worry for The Doctor was that they would end up alone and she was glad that even after all this time, they still had people by their side.

"Have they been travelling with you for a while?" She asked.

It was clear they were close, she wasn't sure if the trio knew each other before joining The Doctor but as she kept referring to them as her fam, it really did look to Rose as though they were a sort of family. She had to remind herself that this wasn't her time, she had her own Doctor waiting for her and as much as she would love to get to know this incarnation she knew that eventually she would have to go back and let this Doctor get back to her own life with her companions.

"It's hard to keep track, as you'll remember, um probably getting on for a year and a half now earth time? Give or take a few months." The Doctor said after a few moments, time was difficult to measure on the TARDIS and she rarely kept track herself but the others did and she recalled Yaz mentioning something to her a while back about them reaching their _one year anniversary_ with her.

A year and a half. That's almost as long as Rose had with her Doctor before.. She wondered how long they would stay with her, she had promised her Doctor forever and it was cut short due to forces out of her control. Were they that close? Close enough to willingly offer the rest of their lives to travelling with her?

She had been too caught up in her thoughts that she barely registered The Doctor coming to a stop, her smile had faltered as she now stood facing a door with a look that appeared somewhere between confusion and surprise.

"You alright Doctor?" She asked, giving the hand still in hers a gentle squeeze.

The Doctor didn't respond and Rose frowned, looking at the door in question she wondered what was so significant about it. It wasn't until she noticed the very faint markings towards the top of the door that she realised where it led. The door itself was nothing special, but there was a pale red outline of a rose etched into the wood with the letter 'R' below it. This was Rose's room.

"Is that?" Her voice was quiet and uncertain, it couldn't be could it? After all this time.

The Doctor nodded silently. The TARDIS had jettisoned a lot of the rooms over time, it was something The Doctor had little to no control over, and for the most part it never really bothered her. This room however, she silently hoped had been kept, and it seemed her ship had wanted to keep the memory of their old friend alive as much as they had.

It had been a long time since she had been inside Rose's room, she had long since repressed her feelings for her lost love for the sake of her own hearts. The moment she saw her in the console room however, all of those feelings came crashing back. Letting go of Rose's hand, she glanced back at her before reaching for the door handle and turning it. The door swung open to reveal a room that oozed familiarity despite how long it had been since either of them had last ventured inside. The Doctor felt tears sting her eyes as she stepped into the room, she couldn't lose it now, not in front of Rose.

Rose could see the pain in The Doctor's eyes when she realised what room they had come across, it couldn't have been a coincidence and Rose had a suspicion that The TARDIS had something to do with making it appear out of the blue like this. She remained silent as The Doctor stepped into her old room, wondering in after her and finding herself shocked at how little it had seemed to have changed over such a long period of time. It was tidier than when she had left it, something that caused her to laugh quietly to herself. Whether it had been herself or the TARDIS that had cleared up the mess she couldn't be sure, although the latter seeming more likely.

Despite the room being tidied, there were still a few of Rose's things lying around. Her second trip to bad wolf bay hadn't been planned, not in Rose's mind anyway and so as a result a few of her things had been left behind. There were a few picture frames on the bedside table, one of her with her mum, and even a couple of her with The Doctor back when she was pinstripes. Folded neatly by the foot of the bed was also one of Rose's old hoodies.

"I don't wanna go." Rose said suddenly, her statement causing The Doctor to turn and look at her with an expression she couldn't read.

She knew it was a stupid thing to say, impossibly stupid, but she couldn't help herself. The TARDIS had all but welcomed her back on board by allowing them to find her room. The years she had spent trying to find a way to get back had been hell, but she had finally done it. She knew that if she went back, it was almost certain fact that she would never see this incarnation of The Doctor again. She loved her pinstriped Doctor, but looking at the woman before her and trying to fathom how she was supposed to go back to her own time and never see her again made her heart hurt in a way she couldn't describe.

"Rose.." Her name fell from The Doctor's lips like a sigh, the tears she had managed to keep at bay up until now were threatening to fall and she shook her head in an attempt to regain control of her emotions.

"The Doctor, Your Doctor.." She started, struggling to find the right words as her own selfish feelings threatened to take over.

"He's still you." Rose cut in.

The Doctor smiled, it was a sad smile and the tears that were on the cusp of falling finally did just that. She stepped forward, taking the empty cup from Rose's hand she set them both down on the table beside her bed because taking both of her hand in her own.

"I need you to listen to me ok?" She told her and waited until Rose nodded before continuing.

"I know I never said it, and this really is the last time I will ever get to, so, I love you Rose Tyler, I have always loved you and even after a thousand years I still love you."

Rose opened her mouth to say something but The Doctor gave her hands a gentle squeeze in hopes that she'd let her say what needed to be said.

"This is why I need you to believe me when I say that if there was any way you could stay here, with me, with us, then I would make it happen."

Rose nodded, her own tears falling as she tried to process what she had just been told. She had always known The Doctor loved her, it had gone unspoken because he had shown her in other ways. Dropping one of The Doctors hands, she reached up to wipe away her tears, a tearful grin stretched across her face when she did the same.

"I'm really glad I found you." She told her honestly, her hand now resting against her cheek whilst her thumb wiped away her remaining tears.

The Doctor nodded in agreement, a smile on her lips as she moved her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

"Me too."

Their faces were mere inches apart, Rose was sure she caught The Doctor's gaze drop to her lips and she couldn't deny not doing the same thing. They were so close, and if it was to be the last time they would ever get the chance to then..

Neither could be sure who made the first move, although one thing they could be sure of was that it was long overdue. It was short and sweet, a way of testing the water. Both women parted with smiles etched across their faces, their foreheads touching as neither was ready to break complete contact just yet.

This wouldn't be Rose's last kiss with The Doctor, but it would her last kiss with Rose. Squeezing the hand she still had in hers, she ran the fingers of her free hand through Rose's hair as she leaned in to kiss her again. She felt Rose smile against her lips and respond almost instantly.

The hand that had been caressing her cheek travelled downward, slipping beneath her coat she curled her fingers around her hip. Curves were a new but _very_ welcome addition.

Things were escalating quickly and despite neither woman voicing any complaints, they both knew that if they allowed things to go any further it would only make Rose's departure that much more difficult. They parted after a few more moments, a few more _long_ moments. Rose let out a sigh, her hand moving from The Doctor's hip to fiddle with one of her braces. The Doctor gave her one more peck before stepping back, her self control was hanging on by a thread and if she didn't create some distance between herself and Rose she feared it would all be shot to hell. She still wasn't entirely convinced that was an all bad thing.

"We should find the others." The Doctor suggested after a moment, she would need her fam by her side after they had dropped Rose off.

Rose nodded, unable to stop fresh tears rising and threatening to fall.

"Hey, no more tears." She said softly, reaching out and wiping away the strays that she couldn't hold back.

"I can't tell you what happens Rose but I am out there, waiting for you." She assured her and Rose nodded again, taking a deep breath as she tried to get her bearings.

"Lets go." Rose said quietly.

The Doctor offered her a small smile which she returned, leading Rose back out of her room they set off back down the corridor they had first come down in search of the others.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are. The final chapter. First of all I want to say a massive thanks to all those who left kudos and comments, your feedback means the world and im so glad you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm not sure how I feel about this final chapter, I hope you all like how I've decided to end it and please let me know your thoughts. I have a few other pieces coming up soon and then ill be working on some more rose/13 so watch this space. Thanks!

**A Chance Encounter**

**Chapter 4**

The universe had thrown The Doctor some curveballs in their time but this really took the biscuit. It was as though they were daring her to just say _screw it_ , screw the universe, screw the timelines. She and Rose both knew that Rose couldn't stay, but she couldn't deny that deep down, the idea of just saying _screw it_ and letting her do just that had crossed her mind. It was one of the reasons she couldn't allow her to stick around longer, it was going to be hard enough on both of them to have to say goodbye again, even harder for The Doctor knowing it would be goodbye for the last time.

Voices filtered out through the partially open door to the media room, it sounded as though the others had decided to watch a film whilst The Doctor caught up with her old friend.

Rose reached out for The Doctor's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before coming to a stop outside the room. The Doctor returned the gesture, turning to look at her friend with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Before we grab your mates, I just.." She trailed off with a sigh, unsure of what it was she even wanted, other than to stay where she was, with The Doctor, _this_ Doctor.

"I wanna give you something." She spoke again after a moment, an almost shy smile crossing her lips.

"Oh Rose, just you being here is more than I could have ever hoped for." The Doctor assured her, giving her hand another gentle squeeze.

Rose reached for the scarf around her neck, it was knitted wool of varying bright colours. She wasn't sure how long she'd had it or even who had given it to her but it had always been one of her favourites.

"It's not much of a gift, more of something to remember me by I suppose." She explained, pulling off her scarf she looked at it for a moment before slipping it around The Doctor's neck.

"Rose.." Her name fell from The Doctor's lips like a sigh, she felt fresh tears prick her eyes as she tried to fathom how she was supposed to let her go again.

"I could never forget about you, ever." She told her, her voice full of emotion as she tried to keep her tears at bay.

Rose gave her a tearful smile of her own, letting go of her hand she reached up to straighten the scarf. It suited her and Rose felt a pang of jealousy as the thought crossed her mind. She was jealous of The Doctor's friends, of Yaz, who once she was gone again could and most likely would do what they could to take her mind off Rose. Something she couldn't entirely blame them for.

They had such little time left before they'd have to say goodbye for good, far too few for Rose to allow such thoughts to get the better of her. Using the scarf as leverage, she drew The Doctor in for one last kiss. It was different than the one they had shared before, it was chaste but no less full of emotion. Both women wanted this final kiss to serve as a reminder to the other that no matter what happened, this moment and what they had would always hold a place in all three of their hearts.

"Oh."

Their moment was interrupted by a surprised voice coming from the doorway of the media room, both women glanced over to find Graham staring back at them looking positively mortified.

"Sorry Doc, Rose, didn't mean to interrupt I was just gonna grab myself another cup of tea." He told them, holding up his empty mug with an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry about it Graham." The Doctor assured him, offering what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"We were just saying goodbye, Rose has to go." She continued, her forced smile falling despite her efforts to keep up appearances in front of her friend.

His expression softened and he nodded, forgetting about his tea he made his way over to the two women.

"It was really nice to meet you love." He told Rose with a smile, bringing the young woman in for a hug which she returned.

"You too."

Yaz and Ryan appeared in the doorway of the media room, both waited until Graham and Rose had parted before heading over to say goodbye themselves.

"Right, everyone had a Rose hug? Rose gives brilliant hugs." The Doctor checked and the others nodded with an amused smile, even Rose managed a small laugh despite the rollercoaster of emotions she was currently feeling.

* * *

The group headed back to the console room, the atmosphere had shifted now that Rose's departure was imminent and everyone remained silent as The Doctor shifted the dial a fraction to ensure they were dropping Rose off at the exact time she had arrived.

The Doctor was preoccupied at the console so Rose decided to join the fam who were waiting nearby on the steps. They looked up at her as she approached and she offered them a smile.

"So, where are you gonna go next?" Ryan asked.

She considered the question for a moment, it was unintentionally loaded and in the end she let out a small sigh and shrugged.

"Wherever this takes me." She told him, pulling the dimension canon out of her pocket.

"So, you'll just keep using that until it takes you back to your Doctor?" He asked and she nodded.

"However long it takes."

* * *

"We're here."

The Doctor's voice broke the silence they had once again fallen into and Rose felt her heart drop, it was finally time. She tried to keep her emotions in check as she offered the fam one final smile and a wave.

"Wish me luck."

She walked over to The Doctor who was standing beside the console, tears had been shed and both women were sure more would come once they were both alone but they had to keep it together long enough to say their final goodbyes.

The two stared at each other for a moment, taking in each and every detail of the other before wide smiles stretched across each of their faces. They collided, holding each other as though their lives depended on it.

"I love you." Rose whispered into her ear.

"I love you too." The Doctor whispered back.

Neither were sure how long it was before they finally parted, The Doctor reached up to wipe away a rogue tear Rose had tried to hard to keep at bay.

"Always, Rose Tyler." She told her.

Before anymore distractions could keep them from doing what needed to be done, Rose turned and headed for the door. The Doctor followed behind as did the others who had been watching the exchange with heavy hearts.

Pulling open the door she stepped out, the reality of what was happening settling in as she took her dimension canon back out of her pocket. Walking a safe distance away from the TARDIS, she stopped and turned to face The Doctor who was stood in the doorway with her fam beside her.

"Until next time, Doctor." Rose called back with a tearful smile.

With a loud crack, Rose disappeared before their eyes. The Doctor stared at the spot where she had just been, a few silent tears escaped now that she wasn't trying to hold them back for Rose's sake.

It had been pure chance that she and Rose had found each other again, and as brief as it had been it was an encounter that she would cherish for the rest of her lives.


End file.
